


The Astral Shadow

by milesabovepeter



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F, Gen, Original Character(s), Original Universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:29:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24066619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milesabovepeter/pseuds/milesabovepeter
Summary: Tara Pakash is about to on an adventure that's been 16 years in the making. An original sci-fantasy story!
Kudos: 4





	1. Renovel

**Author's Note:**

> I genuinely don't if I'm allowed to do this???? anyway here's the first chapter of my original story!

Foxes, wolverines, ferrets, and raccoons the size of regular wolves stormed from the wooded area and out into the opening. 

A wave of shades of red and blue, for Riversword was known for its water aural beast as well as fire! Their size was an indication that all this wave of animals had reached at least Skin Igniting Novice! 

The two sides were in equal numbers. However, with the combined might of the warriors and mystics, the first wave was cleared away with little difficulty. 

Following that was piercing roars and yips. Among the second wave of the former aural beasts were scorch wolves and vapor jackals, and most frightening was the Blood Directing Master river apes riding on the back of a giant coal moose! 

Fire red wolves and ice white jackals weaved in between the warriors, the blade ends, and arrow tips catching air. Charcoal grey apes scratched and punched from atop their mounts that were like unstoppable moving fortresses. One of the apes went for a fifteen-year-old warrior girl. She stumbles onto her backside as this combination of forces charges towards her. She closes her eyes with death upon her. 

Looking after hearing the sound of skin being broken but no pain to her, she finds the small form of the child who had been with the Hufang Matriarch over her!

***

For the past century, virtual realities have changed the face of gaming and social connection. Two startups had invested heavily when the virtual reality industry was in its infancy. Neither would have guessed that it would have made them household names practically overnight. Starshine Industries became the number one developer of gaming consoles and helmets. The Blueriver Company became an invincible and legendary gaming organization within the Eastern United States, sweeping every virtual reality they stepped in for decades to come.

With the tales and drama from virtual reality games well into the social consciousness, the world was abuzz with energy. A new one was going to be released with the claim that it will revolutionize the field. 

The newest generation was eagerly rushing to stores as schools let out. The rumor was that Starshine was giving away a hundred thousand of their new helmets in every nation. Those youths that had already prepared beforehand headed home in groups of ten to twenty. They have dreams of creating Workshops, a team of independent players under one name, and getting popular enough to end up scouted by a company or absorbed into a well-known Guild. 

Guilds are gaming organizations sponsored by companies or even governments. Very few reached Blueriver’s level and those that did were known as Ultra Guilds. Veterans were discussing whether they should play something new or stick to similar classes they had chosen in the past. Many were eager to make a name for themselves under this new system and possibly end up a member of their Guild’s core team. 

A sleek black car hovered off the ground as it drove through traffic with precision and speed. A young man in a suit with a driver’s cap keeps his eye on the road. In the back seat sat a young teen and his charge. The girl was already listening to every news report she could find.

“It’s said that Renovel was created by a coalition of numerous companies from several countries,” A reporter says, “It’s speculated that Starshine is so willing to give away so much of their new gear thanks to government initiatives to create more accessibility and bring up a new generation. Most believe this is because, while still hotly debated, that virtual reality games improve brain function and enhance memory.”

One of those reports was done by a famous young adult author and a renowned psychologist--” The other reporter was cut off, as there was a knock on the dividing window. 

“We’re home, Ms. Pakash.”

As soon as the car pulls up, Tara Pakash bolts into her home. Finally, it’s her fifteenth birthday! She’s finally old enough to play her first virtual reality game! 

Her mothers had said she needed to wait when she had first shown interest a few years ago. She had been bubbling with excitement for a year and was eager to see the accumulation of the creators’ efforts. 

Following her mama Karuna’s instructions, she quickly changes into her pajamas upon entering her room. Stepping into the game room, the sight of two women greets her as she enters. 

“And you're certain she’s not going to get, like, stuck in there?” Xia He asks, both her and her wife unaware their daughter has arrived. They stood before a bed setup connected to a variety of machines she wasn't entirely clear of their functions. She had never joined a virtuality game before despite her father’s insistence. 

“The helmet was specifically crafted so that I and 40 other people can monitor her condition at all times. And if something happens we can easily eject her from the virtual space. Tara won’t even feel a thing.” Karuna Pakash assures Xia. Tara can’t help but roll her eyes: it was routine for her mother to worry and her mama to soothe said worries. Tara clears her throat and they both spin around.

“Starlight, so you’ve arrived,” Karuna smiles warmly, beginning to check over Tara’s helmet. Xia immediately hugs her daughter on sight and even spins her around like she’s six years old again. 

“The game has two modes: story mode and adventure mode! The former is more of a solo experience. Your statistics--what determines things like physical strength and agility--are randomly chosen and you can’t view them, but you have the opportunity of a more open world without quests or other players. Basically, you become the hero of your own story. The latter is more like a massively multiplayer online scenario, like a regular game.” Xia says, having some knowledge of what was in store. 

“More will be explained when you enter the virtual space but know time functions differently within games.” Karuna continues, squeezing Tara’s hand in comfort. 

Tara nods as Xia scoots off the bed so she can lay down. The helmet was comfortable and just her size, a sleek snow white with the five-sided star shaded in Starshine orange. 

There’s a flash of light and Tara’s suddenly hovering in an empty white space. She’s dressed in a simple white sundress. Tara flexes her fingers and it really does feel like she can reach out and touch objects. 

As she lingers on how surreal experience simply being in the virtual space is, a black door and a white door appear. On the black door, the symbol of a white book while on the other door was a black sword. 

Tara stretches a hand towards the first door with the book:

_ [A mystical world created at random with no single realm is the same. Each holds their own mysteries to unravel and legends to discover. Not beholden to quest lines, your growth and fate will have untold rewards awaiting you if you can cross into Adventure mode. _ ] A multilayered voice of the system reads out. 

Tara can’t help but smile. It did sound fun and interesting to carve out your own journey. Tara lifts a hand towards the other door with the sword. 

[ _ More aligned with classic multiplayers, one gains levels to unlock new skills to help them fight against monsters and gather treasures. Create your own legacy and stand at the peak above all others while making your own Story. _ ] The system declares. 

Tara weighs her options and decides that Story mode was more to her liking. The idea that she could become stronger for the Adventure mode all on her own was pretty exciting. Tara turns the handle of the Story door and pulls it open before disappearing.

As soon as she’s gone the two doors fuse together before changing the shape of the twelve-sided die. They then split up into a multicolored set of eight. Four of them had white numerals (cyan, umber, silver, and black) while the other four had black numerals (red, green, gold, and white). They spin in place for thirty seconds before halting. 

With Adventure Mode, a person’s character would take on their current appearance while they could choose from a number of races and classes. In Story Mode was different from where everything from the world to your race was chosen at random while one started as a child. 

Ànying Suo was the name of the world created for her Story. A world of martial skill where people’s bodies are the strongest weapon in the end. 

Her background has Tara end up adopted into the Hufang family, a noble family within the country of Riverwsword. Tara was given the basics of her world, such as the currency, basic history of her nation and family, and that a week of eight days equaled twelve hours in physical reality. Once the week was up she would end her session and carry on her daily life. 

The powers of her world were divided into eight elements: fire, water, ground, wind, metal, lightning, light, and darkness. Together they were called the prismatic elements. The people within this world used a martial art called the Body Altering Technique. 


	2. Family Expedition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tara enters the game! What awaits her?!

Her in-game mother and grandmother were martial artists while her new in-game father was called a singular. The terms to categorize their strength made no real sense to her but she figured it would be explained soon. When she opens her eyes, Tara finds herself in a courtyard among twenty ten-year-olds sitting on the grass before a bespectacled man. 

“Ever since I taught every one of you to read and write, you’ve also come to have a basic understanding of why our country is revered by others. Yes, little Chun?” Elder Guo points at a girl towards the front row, her cheeks chubby and adorable. 

“It’s because a lot of our plants, after being raised under starlight, are super strong and rare!” Chun speaks up, lowering her hand when called upon. Elder Guo smiles, happy that she recalled his lesson. 

“Yes! Others come from across the void to look for precious herbs for their elixirs and pills. Our Dawn Jungle is well known for their fire-based aural beasts while our Riversword Kingdom is home to many water-based aural beasts so people come from far and wide to look for all sorts of body parts, either to sell off or help with a craft!” Elder Guo laughs proudly. 

“Some of you have been diligent in your studies of geography, economics, and politics, which will make you powerful scholars and aides to nobles,” He continues smiling to several among the children, before annoyance covers his face, “Others have been oh-so-patient in wishing to learn more about our family’s more  _ physical _ aspect.”

His voice carries an edge of sarcasm that is lost on the children as he watches most of them straighten up. His gaze lingers on the smallest girl, whose bronze-colored eyes glitter with excitement. 

“All living things are said to be able to manipulate at least one of three great energies. Warriors manipulate physical energy and mystics command mental energy. I haven’t heard anything concerning spiritual energies, but I’m sure such beings who can use it exist. Such people are called ‘singulars’.” He points to another child. 

“When a martial artist can focus all three energies, known as aural energy when combined, this creates our aura! It protects out body from being hurt!” The child recites and the elder nods. 

“In order to master any of these energies one most go through Body Altering. They say to go from a Novice to an Apprentice of Body Altering, one must attend a Martial Academy; to go from an Apprentice to a Master one must join a sect.” Elder Guo stretches the pause for his own personal dramatics with some of the children laughing at his action. That he did this quite often was something Tara learns in that moment.

“Accomplishing even the former without a master to guide you or a family name to back you is nearly impossible. But as you know, our common ancestor was a wandering aurator who was able to achieve this incredible feat. Our family came into being after they joined the Eightsword Sect, having stood apart within their Martial Academy.” 

Even among those who didn't aspire to be an aurator were listening intently. Hearing about the founder was a source of honor and inspiration.

“What level did the ancient founder reach?” One of the children squeaked excitedly. 

“Why don't we first establish what the levels are? Does anyone know what they are?”

Immediately a tiny hand shot up, sienna brown skin among the golden tones.

“Tara, what can you tell me?” He asks, choosing her without hesitation. 

“My baba said that there should be eight stages of Body Altering and each one connected to a different element. The first four are called the Novice stages: Skin Igniting for fire, Blood Directing for water, Bone Crystallizing for ground, and Billowing Muscle for wind! You have to go in that order and every stage is split up between Novice, Apprentice, and Master as well!” Tara speaks confidently using the knowledge given to her by the system.

Elder Guo nods, picking up where she leaves off. “Afterwards comes the apprentice levels but all we know about is Vein Plating, for metal. The final three are not common knowledge outside of Martial Academies. Our Hufang’s Matriarch has reached a Vein Plating Apprentice with only heiress Di being a stage below as a Billowing Muscle Novice. And while this is prestigious, it is recorded that our ancestor was well beyond the Body Altering phase.”

The first four Body Altering stages were attainable simply revolving one’s aura. Skin Igniting is the first and most fiery of the Body Altering stages. Once this point was reached, an aurator’s body would burn up as if they were within a forging oven. When the process was over their skin would be as hard as a rock even without their aura around them.

After going through Novice all the way to Master, next came Blood Directing, the water aligned level. This one allowed an aurator to control the direction of their blood which helped focus on healing and recovery. Bone Crystallization was the ground element that caused an aurator’s skeleton to become tough like crystal. Billowing Muscle enhanced the muscles to be able to move with the deftness and grace of the wind. 

As long as an aurator used an aural energy circulation technique, these four levels were obtainable with enough patience and diligence. Crossing into Vein Plating, which made the veins and blood vessels sturdy as steel but as light as lithium, was much harder. One needed to not only perfectly achieve mastery of each previous level but also have a sound mind, spirit, and body as they forced their bodies through true qualitative change. This is why the Matriarch reaching the Apprentice level was so amazing!

As for what was beyond that? Nobody outside of Martial Academies had any true knowledge, only inklings from ancient text or rumors from the capitol, Tabanos. 

Many of the children started chattering with surprise and awe--they weren't aware of the shared blood with such a strong figure! Even Elder Guo puffed up in the pride. Despite his distaste of combat, Elder Guo himself was only a Skin Igniting Apprentice but had his honor as an aurator. 

“Some of you have been instructed by either your parents or other teachers in unarmed combat, but now you have finally reached the age where you can spar with your peers. Come off of the arena square and then I will choose two of you for the first round!” 

The children scrambled off the marble floor, each stone cut into a square, forming a 100 by the 100-foot platform. Elder Guo had them all line up based on whose parents had attainments in martial arts. To the far left of them was a large child, who had clearly been reared for such a lifestyle. This was Hufang Tej, Elder Guo's great-nephew. However, standing on his left was the tiny brown girl, Hufang Tara. 

This caused many of the other children to be confused. When they were being taught, the information on the other children’s parentage was kept quiet, in order for them to bond naturally and without their parents' feuds, if any. 

“Little Tej, your opponent shall be Tara.” Elder Guo announces, surprising them all. Tej merely chuckles as he walks on stage with Tara skipping. 

“How is this fair? Tara's even smaller than me!” Chun whispers to one of her cousins. 

“ You may begin,” Elder Guo says once they were spaced apart enough. The children watched intently as Tara gave a toothy grin to Tej's arrogant smirk. The next moment his smirk fell as Tara shot forward. Her long braided brown hair whips in the air as Tara darts towards him. 

She pulls back a fist to aim at his upper chest, Tej crossing his arms to block the blow. However, thanks to her momentum, her strength has multiplied. Tej skids back several feet. 

“You’re more formidable than you look,” Tej calls out, clenching his hands several times to stop them from shaking. “I guess I should take you seriously!”

Tara, on the other hand, was frowning slightly. The power from her new virtual body was much more than she’s used to. Since it was common practice to learn self defense, Tara sparred in class and with her parents, so she was aware of how strong she was usually. It will take some time to get used to the difference.

Tej took the initiative this time, running with a punch of his own. Tara tilts to the side, grabbing his arm as it passes by her chest with both hands. Locking her feet in place, she twists her body and tossed him like a sack of potatoes. He sails through the air with a soft ‘thump’ as he hits the ground. While others were shocked at this, Elder Guo remains calm. He knew exactly who this small girl’s teacher was. Even so, he wishes that his nephew was more of a match.

The sparring continues but young Tara is excused. Normally such an active child would be upset and unruly about this decision, but Tara knew that none of them could fight on even terms. So instead she helps each kid correct themselves where she saw flaws. Each of them, even Tej, was thankful for the pointers and showed growth with every future fight.

“You've done well today, Tara.” Elder Guo praises the young girl as her cousins run home for the evening. “I will be sure to inform the Matriarch of your victory, singular as it was, as well as the leadership skills you displayed today.” 

Tara cups her hands and bows. “Thank you, Uncle! I only copied what I learned about teaching from you. To be patient and fix things not just by telling but showing!”

As Tara runs off, Elder Guo's eyebrows finally rose in surprise. 

Tara zips to her parents’ pavilion. She greets every maid and butler she ran into with a hug or a high five. She zips down the hallway, slamming the sliding door open. 

At that moment a young girl no older than seven came flying at her. With practiced grace, Tara catches this girl and spins her around in a circle. The girl laughs as she hugs her sister. 

“Where are our parents, frog face?” Tara teases, poking her younger sister on the nose as they released. 

“Mother went to see Baba but our father is still home, cat hands,” Zawen returns, following Tara through their house and to their father's study. They found him with his broad back turned away. He was polishing a silver double-edged sword. Splayed out on the table in front of him was a set of armor and a small circular shield. On both pieces of equipment, there was a tiger head etched on it, two hooked swords forming an X through the tiger head.

“Father, are you going out to train?” Tara asks, her brow furrowed. Her father was a warrior and was close to his next breakthrough to the next level of Body Altering. 

Her father pauses, placing the sword down before turning around to face his daughters with a loving smile. “No, my tiny star, there’s an expedition happening in two months.”

“An expedition!?” Zawen cries, “Just like the one you found big sister on!”

“The same one, yes. Every expedition is so our family’s youngest and brightest can gain some real-world experience. Your mother and I have been requested as protectors and--Tara Pakash, I know that look.”

Tara feels her tiny body vibrating from eagerness, her grin wide and her eyes shining like starlight. It would be a good opportunity to see the world. “Take me with you!” She begs, dropping onto her knees before her father. 

“Tara--” Her father starts, but she cuts him off.

“Father, I may be two years younger but I’m just as strong! I can take care of myself, honest!” She pleads. He sighs before closing his eyes and thinking for a moment. After several breaths, he opened his eyes. 

“Go ask your mother. She returned only a moment ago and is waiting in the sparring room.” The smirk on his face had Tara’s bubbling excitement freeze over. Still, she rose from her knees and quickly headed to where her mother is, leaving her sister and father behind. 


End file.
